The owner of a Newark meat rendering plant could face up to five years in state prison and hefty charges after a state grand jury indicted him on criminal charges for violating state water and air pollution laws. In a four-count indictment, Seymour Berkowitz, 72, of Allendale and Berkowitz Fat Company Inc., were charged with one count of violating the... Full story »

Mathi Kahn Polzo was riding her bike on Parsonage Hill Road in Millburn with a group of cyclists in the summer of 2001 when she hit a pothole. Although she was wearing a helmet, she suffered a massive head injury and died. Her husband, Donald, sued Essex County for wrongful death, claiming the county was negligent for not repairing the... Full story »

In honor of the 100th birthday of Newark's Riverbank Park, the Ironbound Community Corp. and others have planned a weekend of events to mark the centennial. The park, located in the city's Ironbound section, was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the same family that designed Central Park in New York. Today kids can enjoy a bilingual theater program and scavenger... Full story »

Are you smarter than a kindergartner? That's what I asked myself when it took 15 minutes to understand the directions to my daughter's homework assignment. This entailed re-reading them slowly six times, seeking enlightenment from my five-year-old (maybe she practiced a similar page in class?), and finally calling a friend, the mom of a first-grader. To save face in... Full story »

"Mama, only dead people are in heaven." That's what my five-year-old daughters declared the other day when she told me that Jesus must be dead because he rose to heaven. I thought to myself, "What ever happened to the days of deciding which was her favorite Disney Princess?" (For the record, it's Snow White). My daughter is in Catholic... Full story »

Forget ghosts and goblins. What really scares me about Halloween is the candy. Certain ones really give me the creeps: M&Ms, Snickers, Almond Joy. The mere mention of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups sends chills up my spine. The phobia began two years ago, when my son Chris was diagnosed with a severe peanut/tree nut allergy after eating a tiny... Full story »

My relatives from Venezuela visited a couple of weeks ago. After they left, my 5-year-old daughter asked what it's like where they live. "It's very hot. There are beaches and beautiful mountains called the Andes," I told her "And they only speak Spanish." "Oh, then forget it,'' she answered abruptly. "I don't want to go there.'' For a mom... Full story »

Maybe you thought of getting your nephew his first baseball mitt this year for Christmas. Better check his registry. He may flip if you show up with a mitt when he asked for - demanded - a Spyro video game. What? You didn't look in the gift registry? It was all spelled out in his parents' e-mail. They signed... Full story »

Water will be turned off some streets in Millburn this afternoon for repairs due to a 10-inch water main break at the intersection of Ridgewood Road and Cypress Street, police said. Streets affected are Ridgewood Road from Millburn Avenue to the Maplewood town line, Cypress Street from Millburn Avenue to Glen Avenue, and the entire length of Sunset Drive, Evergreen... Full story »

Firefighters are on the scene of an intense fire that damaged a South Orange home this afternoon. Smoke billowed out of the roof and the sides of the two-story stucco home on Redmond Road. During an initial search, firefighters did not see any victims who had been trapped inside, said Village Administrator John Gross. But authorities cannot be sure... Full story »

My cousin was over the other day, helping me discard some videotapes and DVDs. "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree?" "Baby Mozart?" "Barney Goes to the Beach?," she asked incredulously, tossing each into a plastic donation bag. Why was I still hanging on to videos my children had outgrown, she wanted to know. I told her my children... Full story »

Soon after landing a newspaper job in my early 20s, an editor asked if my parents were really proud of me. The question perplexed me, and it was only years later that I understood the implication. What the editor meant was "Hey, you've graduated from college and have a good job as a journalist, AND you're a Hispanic woman.... Full story »

To those who swear that drinking unpasteurized milk is the ultimate health elixir, this story should give you some pause. What began as a two-night getaway at a farm in Lancaster County, Pa., turned into a calamity of nightmarish proportions for me and my two kids when we drank raw milk. Full story »

The body of one of the fisherman missing since a boating accident more than two weeks ago was recovered today from the Delaware River near Walpack Bend, National Park Service officials said. The body of Timothy Panella, of Mendham township, was discovered about 1 p.m. by a visitor walking a dog on the New Jersey shore of the Delaware Water... Full story »

Senate President Richard Codey said he's tired of seeing drivers swerve to avoid hitting potholes when he's driving on Route 280. After months of witnessing several near-misses, he sent a letter Monday to Department of Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri asking for the "deplorable road surface conditions" to be repaired. "As you know, Route 280 is a major commuter thoroughfare in... Full story »

With a little luck and a lot of votes, 10-year-old Hanna Goldstein may have her 15 minutes of fame. Of over 16,000 entries, the Millburn fourth grader was chosen as one of 40 finalists in the Doodle4Google nationwide competition, where K-12 students were challenged to dress up Google's homepage logo. The winning student's doodle will be displayed on the Google... Full story »

Club Espana has been an Ironbound institution for 44 years, but the cultural and social club is fighting for its survival. Club President John Abeigon said restrictions imposed on the club by the Newark Alcoholic Beverage Commission are hurting business. The ABC restrictions call for the club to close at 2 a.m. for the next year and hire police officers... Full story »

So far, heaven has soccer balls, plates of macaroni and cheese, and lots of stickers. That's according to my four and five-year-old kids, who became obsessed with death and the afterlife after I mentioned I'd dreamed about my late father. Since then, they ask about eternity at least once in a day. To be honest, I'm running out of... Full story »